


Us Against The World

by creativechristy



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-21 01:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15547032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creativechristy/pseuds/creativechristy
Summary: This fanfic will be the start of a series of one-shots or alternative scenes based upon the show. Expect lots of fluff and lots of kissing. Very few mention of other characters. Just Cin. Not a fan of Hope, Rafe, Tripp, or Claire so don’t expect me to be kind to them in this series.





	1. The Eyes Have It

**Author's Note:**

> First time I’m writing Ben and Ciara so take it easy on me. This first scene takes place as an extended part of the 7-31-18 scenes before Hope and Rafe barge in. Hope you enjoy!

It was something about his eyes. They pulled her in every time. A few weeks ago, Ciara never would have imagined herself to be sitting on the floor of her loft apartment with Ben Weston. The former necktie killer. He had taken her by surprise and she found herself liking him more and more everyday, more than she could admit to herself. She was attracted to him and it wasn’t just his body although that was definitely a plus. She was interested in the man Ben had become despite his past. He was charming, caring, and strong. At that moment, she was trying not to get lost in her budding feelings for him. Those feelings might just get her in trouble. 

“Thank you,” Ben said, looking into her eyes.

“Anyone would have done the same,” Ciara replied, the naive part of her believing that to be true. The truth was there was hardly anyone in that town who would want to help a former serial killer. 

“No, they wouldn’t. I don’t have anyone else. Just you.” Ben told her, knowing no one else besides Ciara had cared about him this much in a long time. She proved that when she hired him a lawyer. 

Ciara sighed, realizing the reality of the situation. No one liked her being with Ben. “My whole family freaked out because I decided I would rather stay with a serial killer than come home.” Then, she looked at Ben and it occurred to her that her words probably came out the wrong way. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay, that’s who I am. I can be in therapy for the rest of my life, but it’s not gonna change the past. I don’t know if it’s gonna change the future either.” Ben knew no one would let him forget his past and he would be forever haunted by what he did. 

“That’s why I didn’t want to come home. I didn’t know if I would have a future here because no matter what I did I could never escape what happened to me. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to deal with it, but now that I’m back I don’t really have a choice. I have to, I’m doing it.” It was so natural for Ciara to open up to Ben after the time they shared in the cabin. She felt like she could trust him after he took care of her. 

“You’re doing a great job.”

“Thanks.” Ciara found herself smiling softly as she looked into his eyes. “Maybe you can do the same.” She believed in him. 

“I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. This whole town is never going to forget what I did. Maybe they shouldn’t. Part of me just thinks I should hop the next train out of here.” Ben said, thinking out loud. Other than Ciara, there was nothing for him in Salem anymore. No one wanted him here.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Her heart leapt in her chest. Ciara didn’t want him to leave. Not now when they had gotten close.

“Not right now. Your Mom and Rafe made it clear I shouldn’t leave town until this whole fire investigation is over.” 

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing. You know, it can give them a chance to prove you’re innocent. It’s the whole reason I hired you the lawyer.” 

Ben found his gaze go from her eyes to her lips for a moment. “I appreciate that, more than you know. What if the cops don’t prove I’m innocent? Would you ever believe I didn’t set that fire?”

A few beats passed as Ciara looked at him thoughtfully. Deep down, she knew he didn’t set that fire. She told her Mom she believed Ben and trusted him. It was time she reassured Ben what he already heard. 

“Do you think I would have hired you a lawyer if I believed you set that fire? I meant what I told my Mom before. I believe you and I trust you. If you’re the killer everyone thinks you are, you would have left me for dead either on the side of the road or in that cabin fire.” Ciara told him, believing every word she said. When she spoke, she could see that look in his eyes. The one she saw before when she showed up to see him at the police station after she snuck out of the hospital. It made her heart skip a beat. 

“Good point. You’re the only one who believes I’m telling you the truth,” Ben said, starting to smile again despite the way his head was hurting. Looking into her beautiful eyes was a good distraction from the pain he felt from Claire whacking his head with that frying pan. 

“Someone in this town has to believe in you. Might as well be me,” Ciara spoke softly, smiling back at him. 

It was then she felt herself leaning in closer to him and she could have swore Ben was looking down at her lips for a couple seconds. He wasn’t making any moves though, being completely respectful of her space. If anyone was going to make a move, it would be her. For the first time since Tripp, she found herself wanting to get close to someone. She just hoped this time it wouldn’t backfire on her. As she inched her way forward in that moment, Ben could feel his own heart beating faster. He wanted to kiss her, but he wasn’t going to until she made the first move. When her lips softly touched his, the sparks each of them felt was undeniable. At first, her lips cautiously moved over his for a few second before pulling back slowly to look into his eyes. He didn’t say anything but his eyes said it all. He wanted her as much as she wanted him in that moment. 

Seconds later, their lips met in a more passionate kiss and slowly Ben gently touched her face with his free hand, his fingers in her long brown hair. Ciara moved in closer, one arm resting at her side as the other looped around his neck loosely before fingering the collar of his shirt in her hand. The way he felt her fingers on his shirt really sparked a fire inside him he hadn’t felt since being with Abby, which seemed like a lifetime ago. He really didn’t expect anyone to ever feel attracted to him this way again. That made him hunger for more and just as the kiss started to intensify, he had to reluctantly pull back with a soft groan escaping his lips. 

Ciara noticed immediately he must be in pain because she could see it on his face. “I’m sorry, I kind of attacked you. That was probably too much.” 

Ben held the ice to his head again as it slipped down since kissing Ciara. If it wasn’t for his concussion, he would have kept kissing her. “It’s okay, I like being attacked by you,” he smiled and reached over to tuck some hair behind her ear before caressing her cheek. “I haven’t felt this way about someone in a long time.”

Ciara found herself gazing at him again and the way he was looking at her made her heart beat fast. His hands in her hair and the way his lips had so expertly moved over hers had awoken hormones in her she hadn’t previously experienced. Sure, she had felt something with Tripp but it was nowhere near this intense like it was with Ben. She couldn’t deny it after that kiss. 

“How do you feel about me?” Ciara asked him, wondering how deep his feelings were for her. This was all so new and she didn’t want to mess it up because she was also afraid she might get triggered. 

“I don’t think words can do justice to the way I feel about you. Before today, I thought the best I could hope for is to be your friend, but I can’t deny the way I feel about you. I care about you a lot more than I ever expected to, and I don’t expect anything. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Ben told her, wishing he was better with his words right now. She deserved the world after what she had been through. 

“I care about you, too and I really appreciate you not pushing me to do anything.” She could feel herself blushing. Of course Ciara would love to do more with Ben, but it was going to take some time for her to recover from her experience with Chase and Tripp. 

Ben slowly dropped his hand down from her cheek to her hand and held it for a moment. “I am perfectly happy being your friend for now. It’s not like I have a lot of those anyway these days.”

“You will, eventually people will see the changed man I do and they will see the good in you, just like I do.” She smiled softly, looking down at his hand in hers. It felt right and it felt so good.

“I hope so. Maybe one day,” he said softly and started to sit up a little more. His head was still pounding a bit, but not nearly as bad now.

“I wish there was something else I could do....” Ciara wants to help relieve his pain just like he had done for her in the cabin. “I think I have some Tylenol if you want some to help with the pain and you should probably lay back down on the couch.” 

“It’s okay, the ice is helping a lot. And to be honest, so did that kiss.” Ben admitted, not able to stop his gaze from her dropping down to her lips again. 

“Oh, really? Well, I guess there’s something I could do about that...” Ciara scooted closer to him on the floor and leaned forward once again kissing him sweetly. 

He sat up more, putting down the ice as he kissed her back. Kissing her felt a lot better than the ice in his head at this point. His arms came to circle around her waist with her arms circling around his neck. The kiss quickly got heated again and they both noticed, having to break apart. 

“Did all that kissing heal your concussion?” Ciara said in a joking kind of way, looking back at him.

“Maybe, it feels better than the ice.” Ben smirked at her softly and she smiled. He loved her smile and he could gaze at her the rest of the night and be perfectly happy. 

Unfortunately for Ben and Ciara, the rest of their night got ruined by Hope and Rafe barging in on them. That left Ciara more determined than ever to see Ben again, despite what her Mom was doing to keep them apart.


	2. Dreaming Of You (Version 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one-shot takes place the night Ben and Ciara talk in the park and say goodnight in the cutest way. I started writing this thinking it would be Ben dreaming of Ciara then it kind of ended differently so I'm going to have two different versions of this chapter. My inspiration for this chapter was to play off the moment in a recent Days promo where Ben and Ciara are gazing intensely into each others eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan for the chapter to originally end the way it did, but it kind of works. Stay tuned for another version of this chapter. For this version, Ben starts off dreaming, but most of the chapter is not a dream.

Ben laid down on the bench in the park, putting the small blanket he had over him and closing his eyes. He hoped to get some rest no matter how much his past often haunted him in his sleep. So, he focused on how beautiful Ciara looked tonight as he closed his eyes. She was the light in his day every time he saw her. It felt like the darkness he had been living in finally had a light at the end of the tunnel. As he drifted off to sleep, the way she looked at him as they said goodnight filled his mind.

Ciara tossed back and forth that night, not able to get a certain someone off her mind. After about an hour, she gave up trying to fall asleep. She got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, leaving the loft for a walk to the park. When Ciara got to the clearing where the bench was, she saw a man laying there and when she got closer, she knew who it was.

“Ben?” She said softly, inching closer as she hobbled over with her crutches. Ben stirred awake, hearing her voice and opened his eyes turning to see her.

“Ciara...” Ben whispered in that husky voice of his that Ciara liked. The way he said her name sounded sexy to her, but she wouldn’t admit that out loud to him. “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”

“Couldn’t sleep. You didn’t tell me you had nowhere to stay. I would have gotten you a hotel room.” She said looking at him, obvious concern on her face.

“You’ve helped me so much already getting me that lawyer, it’s okay.” Ben said, sitting up.

“No, it’s not. I want to take care of you,” Ciara insisted and she went to move closer but lost her footing with the crutches and started to fall. Ben immediately saw what was happening and reached out catching her in his arms right before she hit the ground.

His eyes looked into hers as she locked eyes with him, finding herself breathless for several moments. Her eyes flickered to his lips and that attraction she felt towards him came rushing to the surface. Then, maybe it was just her imagination but she could have swore his eyes also looked down at her lips. Her hands had naturally found their way around his neck, fingering the jacket he had on.

“You’re sweet, Ciara. You treat me better than I deserve,” Ben said softly looking into her eyes and fighting the urge to kiss her. He wanted to respect any boundaries she had. Ciara appreciated that about him, which only made her want him even more. For a few heated moments, they just gazed at each other before Ben helped Ciara to her feet.

“Well, you keep on saving me so I think you deserve it,” Ciara smiled and looked into his eyes once more. “I also think you should have a place to stay. That’s why you’re coming back with me to my place.”

“Ciara...” Ben started to protest before Ciara shook her head and started to speak. She was determined to get her way.

“I’m not taking no for an answer. Let’s go,” Ciara said, leading the way as Ben grabbed his things and they left the park.

Once inside the loft, Ciara showed him to the empty bedroom they had left. “Cmon, you can stay in Theo’s room. It’s right across the hall from mine.” She pointed it out, giving him the tour. “The bathroom is also right next to your room if you need it.”

“Thank you. Are sure Tripp and Claire are going to be okay with this?” Ben asked, thinking they probably wouldn’t be happy to see him.

“I don’t care what they think. You need a place to stay and I’m giving you one. They will just have to accept it.”

“Okay, well, goodnight then,” Ben said, giving her a small smile.

Ciara smiled back, making her way to Ben and decided to be bold. “Goodnight.” She leaned in, kissing him on the cheek and her gaze lingered longer on him than it should have. His eyes also lingered on her as she left him, walking back to her room. As he went to Theo's room and laid in bed, he sighed softly. Ciara had him whipped and he knew it. There's nothing he wouldn't do for this girl.


	3. Dreaming Of You (Version 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Ben was only dreaming in the last chapter? This an alternative version of what could have happened in the park before Ben was so rudely awakened by Eve.

Ben laid down on the bench in the park, putting the small blanket he had over him and closing his eyes. He hoped to get some rest no matter how much his past often haunted him in his sleep. So, he focused on how beautiful Ciara looked tonight as he closed his eyes. She was the light in his day every time he saw her. It felt like the darkness he had been living in finally had a light at the end of the tunnel. As he drifted off to sleep, the way she looked at him as they said goodnight filled his mind.

“Ben?” He heard her voice, inching closer as she hobbled over with her crutches. Ben stirred awake and opened his eyes turning to see her.

“Ciara...” Ben whispered in that husky voice of his that Ciara liked. The way he said her name sounded sexy to her, but she wouldn’t admit that out loud to him. “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”

“Couldn’t sleep. You didn’t tell me you had nowhere to stay. I would have gotten you a hotel room.” She said looking at him, obvious concern on her face.

“You’ve helped me so much already getting me that lawyer, it’s okay.” Ben said, sitting up.

“No, it’s not. I want to take care of you,” Ciara insisted and she went to move closer but lost her footing with the crutches and started to fall. Ben immediately saw what was happening and reached out catching her in his arms right before she hit the ground.

His eyes looked into hers as she locked eyes with him, finding herself breathless for several moments. Her eyes flickered to his lips and that attraction she felt towards him came rushing to the surface. Then, maybe it was just her imagination but she could have swore his eyes also looked down at her lips. Her hands had naturally found their way around his neck, fingering the jacket he had on.

“You’re sweet, Ciara. You treat me better than I deserve,” Ben said softly looking into her eyes and fighting the urge to kiss her.

He wanted to respect any boundaries she had. Ciara appreciated that about him, which only made her want him even more. For a few heated moments, they just gazed at each other before Ciara started moving towards him, holding onto the collar of his jacket. His heart started pounding like crazy. He was lucky that she even believed in his innocence let alone be attracted to him. Her eyes fell closed as she softly brushed her lips against his. It was for a mere moment and he felt the sparks between them. The desire in his eyes told Ciara everything she needed to know when she slowly pulled back to look at him, but she still wasn’t sure if she was seeing right.

“I’m sorry, I...” Ciara said softly, trying to find her words but none came out.

“Don’t be, I’m not,” Ben said, looking at her in that sexy way of his that made her heart skip a beat. Slowly, he brought her to her feet and leaned in towards her, wanting to kiss her again.

Ciara made the bold move to kiss him again as she felt his strong arms wrap around her. Naturally, her body crashed against his as her arms looked around his neck. The kiss grew passionate quickly. He found himself trying to suppress a moan as they kissed because he hadn't felt this strongly for someone in a long time, not to mention it seemed like forever since he kissed anyone. His lips found their way to her neck, kissing every inch of bare skin he could. Soft moans of pleasure escaped Ciara as he continued. He wasn’t going to be able to stop if she didn’t say anything.

“Ben...” Ciara started moaning his name and Ben could swear he felt his pants tighten.

“Do you want me to stop?” He whispered in her ear and continued kissing her neck like it was the best drug he ever had.

“Don’t stop...” Ciara whispered, feeling breathless and completely lost in her desire for Ben.

Ben went to kiss her sweet lips again, swept up in the moment until something loud was making a clanging noise. He turned his head away her lips, his eyes falling to the bench for a few seconds, hearing it again.

“Hey, get up! I need this bench,” an irritated Eve said as she banged her coffee cup against the bench.

Ben was startled awake by the noise, away from the sweetest dream he had in years. Any physical effects from the dream were gone when he opened his eyes and sat up, seeing Eve gasping as she realized who he was.

“Oh no, it’s you.” He sighed. His whole day was about to go straight to hell. Staying in Salem was going to be rough.


	4. I Want You To Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A re-write of the August 7th-10th scenes with Ciara and Tripp, Ben interrupting them, and then the beautiful scenes of Ben and Ciara in Horton Town Square (the fall) and after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter yet and I wrote things slightly different than Days but kept most of the original dialogue. So credit to the Days writers. Most of the dialogue isn't mine.

As Ciara napped on the couch, she dreamt of being in the cabin fire again. Falling off the bed and crying out for help. Except this time, she was calling out for Ben. She hoped if he was near the cabin, he could rescue her. “Ben! Ben! Ben!”

In her dream, Ben called out her name and came through the door. He used a nearby chair to stomp it the flames to get to her and carry her out of the cabin. He lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her out like a knight in shining armor. Once they were plenty of feet away from the cabin in a clearing, his face looked towards hers longingly. She coughed out some smoke inhalation and found her eyes staring into his gaze.

“Ciara, are you okay?”

She nodded and then heard a voice that she knew couldn’t possibly be there.

“Ciara! Ciara! Wake up!” It was Tripp’s voice pulling her out of her dream and she woke up shaking. He was trying to calm her down, which she was able to do after a couple minutes.

“You were having a nightmare. I kept hearing you call out Ben’s name.”

“Oh my gosh, I was screaming in my sleep?” Ciara asked him, taking some deep breaths to calm herself down as she attempted to stand up. Tripp immediately rushed over, wrapping his arms around her to make sure she wouldn’t fall.

“Yeah, that’s why I woke you up. I wanted to make sure you were okay because it sounded like you were having a nightmare.”

“I kinda was….thanks. I want to try walking since I’m out of my cast,” Ciara started to try and limp on her good leg to walk to the kitchen.

“Careful, let me help you. I’ll be here every step of the way.” Tripp said, holding her hands and with his help, she took a couple steps. She smiled, grateful she was able to start walking a little.

“I did it!” Ciara hugged Tripp because she was so excited about her progress. He held her close like he always did and was wishing he still had a chance to be with her. She slowly pulled back from him and for a moment, she kissed him. In her mind, she instantly flashed back to all the times Ben took care of her in the cabin especially that time he washed her feet. No one had ever made her feel so cared for in that way. She couldn’t stop thinking of Ben and knew deep down, she didn’t feel that way about Tripp anymore. Not really. It was just a bad reflex of residual feelings. She stopped the kiss quickly.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Tripp asked, clearly disappointed. He felt in that moment they were back in track and he had a chance to be with her again. She wasn’t telling him everything though, he could tell.

“I can’t stop thinking about Ben. This isn’t fair to you, Tripp.”

“So, you have feelings for a serial killer who almost killed you?” He couldn't believe it.

“He’s not a serial killer and he didn’t set that fire!” Ciara grew furious immediately and made her way to the counter leaning on it for support instead of Tripp. He was getting on her nerves. She looked at him and sighed. “And for the love of God, please put a shirt on!” She grabbed a water out of the fridge and took a few sips, setting the water back down on the counter.

“You spend a few days in a cabin with him and he has you thinking he’s a good guy? Well, I don’t buy it. He’s playing you, Ciara.” Tripp told her, ignoring her request to put a shirt on.

“You mean like you played me when you hooked up with Claire 5 minutes after we broke up?” Tripp had no answer to that for a few moments because he knew she was right.

“I told you I was sorry. I never meant things to get that far with Claire. It just happened.”

“Well, guess what? Me and Ben just happened so you’re going to have to deal with it!” She was done being weak and having men take advantage of her. Ben treated her like a queen and she liked how she felt when she was with him. He didn’t look at her like she was damaged goods. The more she thought about how he looked at her gave her chills. Before Tripp could answer, there was a knock on the door. Since Ciara was closer, she looked over to answer it and Tripp was close behind her making sure she didn’t fall.

“Ben…” Their eyes met and for a few seconds, it was like time stood still and she couldn’t even breathe. Ben felt it too until he noticed Tripp there shirtless and looked at her, judging her reaction.

“What are you doing here?” Ciara managed to speak, feeling a bit awkward and surprised.

“I’m sorry if I was interrupting, but I wanted to get a chance to talk to you for a few minutes.” Ben bit his bottom lip for a moment, a little nervous and wishing he could have Ciara alone to himself. He leaned against the door frame, playing with hands.

“Yeah, of course,” Ciara immediately responded. Her whole demeanor changed when he was in the room. She was much more relaxed and at ease with Ben. Her eyes dropped to his lips for a moment before looking back up at him.

“You’re not seriously inviting him in here, are you?” Tripp said, interrupting the moment they were having.

“So what if I did? Are you afraid he’s gonna pull out a necktie and kill you?” Ciara said, acting all snarky and sassy. Ben smirked, liking her attitude.

“No, I can handle myself. I’m scared for you,” Tripp said, trying to act cool. “He can hurt you.”

“If Ben wants to hurt me, I would have been dead by now. He has no desire to hurt me.”

“She’s right. We spent day and night together. I would never hurt Ciara. She knows that.” Ben informed Tripp, which made Ciara smile at him instantly. Her eyes met his again and you cut the attraction between them with a knife.

“Oh like hell you wouldn’t,” Tripp said, trying to give Ben his most intimidating look. It wasn’t working. Ben gave him a look that showed he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by this boy and he definitely wasn’t going to give him any more ammunition.

“Marlena hypnotized me and I know for sure now I didn’t set that fire. Being off my meds, I couldn’t be 100% but now I know everything that happened that night. I have no recollection of starting that fire, so I just wanted you to know.” Ben spoke directly to Ciara now. No need in defending himself to Tripp.

“Really? That’s great. I’m so glad you have Marlena on your side.” Ciara said, feeling relieved that he told her. There was that small part of her that doubted but that was gone now.

“Yeah, me too. Besides you, she’s the only one that seems to believe in me.” Ben said, sincerely looking into her eyes.

“You’re a changed man. People will see that or they won’t.”

Ben was about to answer her and could feel Tripp fuming when he got a text on his phone. Hope wanted to see him at the police station.

“I got to go, maybe I’ll see you later?”

“I hope so,” Ciara said, giving him another smile.

“Me too,” Ben said, returning her smile with one of his own and licking his lips. She was a beautiful woman and he felt blessed to know her. He purposefully ignored Tripp as he left, only having eyes for Ciara. Tripp could see the low key flirting between them and he didn’t like it one bit. “Bye,” he said softly before walking away and Ciara closed the door only to be confronted by Tripp.

“You really believe him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do and nothing you say will change my mind. We’re done, Tripp.” Ciara sighed. “I need some fresh air.” She carefully walked slowly back to her room to get her bag then left the loft, leaving a disappointed Tripp behind.

For about an hour, Ciara ran some errands in Horton Town Square. She felt better getting out of the loft and was determined to get around on her own. Tripp had showed concern about it, but she didn’t need another person super worried about her all the time like her Mom. It was time they see the woman Ciara had become and although she was battling past trauma with Tripp, she knew eventually with time and therapy, she would get through it. Everyone just needed to stop treating her like she was this fragile little girl. That’s one of the reasons she liked Ben. He didn’t look at her like damaged goods or like someone he needed to fix. He understood her and put her needs above his own. No matter what she did, she could not stop thinking about Ben and in doing so she almost tripped on the way to take a seat at the empty bench. Her hand reached out to hold onto the back of the bench as she went to steady herself before she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey! Hey, you alright?” Ben saw Ciara and instinctively reached out, putting a hand in her waist to make sure she wasn’t falling. He was impressed she was attempting to walk on her own now.

“Yeah, I’m just getting used to walking again without the crutches,” Ciara said, her face lighting up when she saw him. She couldn’t ignore the feelings she felt with her hand in her waist in that moment before he removed it. Ben looks at her up and down with a smile.

“I’m glad to see you back on your feet. I’m glad I ran into you.” Ben said, looking back into her beautiful eyes. _God, did she have any idea how insanely beautiful she is?_ No one had looked at him like that in ages.

“Yeah, me too. What’s going on?” Ciara looked at him curiously, noting that he must have something to tell her.

“To say goodbye,” Ben sighed softly, his hands went to his backpack straps, holding them there. “I’m leaving Salem.” Immediately, he could see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes and it made his heart ache, but he didn’t think he another choice. He went to the park bench, inviting her to sit down with him.

“What do you mean you’re leaving Salem?” Ciara asked, not wanting to believe it. “You’re leaving now?”

“My bag is packed.” He told her.

“What made you want to leave?” He can’t leave, not now. This can’t be his choice.

“Your mother. She made me a deal. If I leave Salem, she drops the case against me,” Ben informed her. _I really don’t want to, Lord knows I don’t._

“You said yes?! You could have said no!” Ciara was upset, more so with her Mom than him accepting the deal.

“Say yes and have your Mom follow me along with her police force everyday harassing me for the rest of my life? No thanks.”

“No, she’s bluffing.” She wouldn’t believe her Mom would really do that.

“Since when does Hope Brady have a bluff? She thinks I’m a danger to you and she’s not gonna let up until I’m locked up again.”

“But they don’t have any evidence that you set the fire. If they did, there is no way that she would ever let you go.” Ciara said thoughtfully, knowing her Mom was getting desperate.

“So what am I supposed to do if I stay here? Who’s gonna hire me with the entire police force following me around? I’m not going to be able to pay rent let alone pay you back.” Ben thought out loud, expressing his concerns.

“No, I don’t even care about that anymore.”

“I do.” Ben looks around and lowers his voice. “I don’t want to be seen as the necktie killer ever again. I want a life. I want to start over. Your mother is never gonna let that happen in Salem.”

“You know, I understand being an overprotective mother, but she does not get to use the power of her job to run you out of town!” The more Ciara thought about the way her Mom was acting, the more upset she got.

“Actually, she does.”

“No! It’s not right and it’s not fair to you.”

“No, it’s not fair and I don’t like it either, but I can’t say I blame her. She’s worried about you.” If I was Hope, I’d be worried, too. It’s too and she won’t see I would never hurt her daughter.

“And I’m worried about you.” She looked at him sincerely and his eyes softened. He thought to himself, God, she is my only reason to stay in this town. Ciara starts to get up from the bench, quickly losing her footing. “You’ve got to trust for me to fight for you!”

Ben immediately lunges forward, placing an arm around her waist to hold her and the other on the ground before she drops completely. “Oh my God!” Ciara said, realizing she’s falling and she feels Ben catch her in his arms, holding her perfectly. He’s right on top of her as her eyes meet his gaze as her arms wrap around him, one on his back and the other on his backpack strap. The way he is looking at her sends chills down her spine and if she didn’t realize how insanely attracted to him she was before, she does now. Her eyes fall to his lips and she swears he’s looking down at her lips, too. _Does he even realize how gorgeous he is?_

It was pure instinct for Ben to catch her. He was grateful that he reached out in time before she hit the ground. Her eyes were memorizing like they saw right into his soul. _She’s so freaking beautiful._ Then, his eyes dropped to her lips and he couldn’t stop staring for a moment. The sexual tension between them was thick. _Does she have any idea how badly I want to kiss her?_ He felt her shift after a few moments and he knew he had to stop staring so he didn’t make her uncomfortable. Slowly, he carefully returned her to her feet as they got up from the ground. His eyes returned to hers in that moment and his hands didn’t let her go, not yet. Her arms slowly returned to her sides, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked, not wanting to stop looking at her, ever.

“Yeah…” Ciara got lost in his eyes for a moment. She felt like staring into them forever, but that would be weird right? “Yeah, sorry I guess I’m not used to doing this without the crutches.” She looked down, pushing some hair behind her ear and making her way to the partition across from the bench. Ben still had his hands there to make sure she took a seat safely.

“Maybe it’s a sign,” Ben said, moving her book bag strap that had fallen down beside them and sitting across from her.

“You really think I’m gonna let a weak leg stop me from confronting my Mom?” She was a fighter and nothing was going to stop her. Ben was going to stay in Salem and she would make sure of it.

“Please, don’t do this. I don’t want to cause any more trouble for you.” _She deserves to have a drama free life. I’ll just cause that by being here._

“No, the only person who’s gonna get in trouble is-“

“Me.” Truth was Ben felt defeated. What else could he do? It didn’t seem like there was a future for him in Salem.

“Ben…” Ciara started to protest.

“Ciara, you’re never gonna convince your Mom that I’m a good person, that I’m not a threat. The harder you push, she’s gonna push back. It’s not gonna stop until I’m out of your life so if I leave now, at least I’m not gonna be locked up.”

“Where will you go? Your sister’s?”

“No, I’m not gonna burden Jordan. She’s got her whole life together. A new job. I’m not gonna go mess that up.” Ben looked down. He wasn’t sure where he would go, but besides Ciara, he had no reason to stay.

“I want you to stay.” It was then Ben looked back up at Ciara, his heart aching because it meant so much to him that she wanted him to stay. “Prove to everyone you’ve changed.”

“How? How do I prove that to Eve? Chad? To Abigail? That I actually deserve to be here?” He really saw no way to prove to anyone he had changed.

“Marlena still believes that you’re innocent.”

“I know and I’m grateful, but it’s a losing battle.”

“No, you can’t give up on yourself, Ben because I am not gonna give up on you.” _Man, this woman is stubborn and sexy as hell._ Ben thought as his eyes glanced at her lips once again and swallowed. She really believes in me. “Do you want to stay in Salem?”

Ben started to look away and walk off. He really had to stop staring at her. Before he even got one step, Ciara grabbed his arm and pulled him back to face her. “No, do you want to stay in Salem?” No way was she letting him off that easy.

“Yeah,” Ben nodded, looking back down at her lips. You are the reason. I have no one else.

“Then, you’re staying. This is your life. You fought hard to get it back and now you get to live it on your own terms, okay?”

His eyes looked between her eyes and lips once more. How desperately he would love to stay and show Ciara the love she deserves. “Yeah, well tell that to your mother.”

“That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. We’re gonna fight this. Together.” Ben wanted to do that so badly but logically, it didn’t make sense for her to get in this fight with him.

“Ciara, it’s not your fight.”

“Someone has to stand up for you. Might as well be me.” Ciara looked into his eyes soulfully, fully committed to being Team Ben. She was going to make her mother see Ben wasn’t going anywhere.

Ben shook his head slightly and licked his lips, glancing back at her lips again. _Damn, she’s good. I really can’t fight her on this._ “I can’t stay at the homeless shelter permanently so what do you suggest I do?”

“There’s an extra room at my loft. You can stay there until you get back on your feet.”

“What about Tripp and Claire? Won’t they have a problem with it?”

“We’ll take a vote. I can almost guarantee I’ll get Claire to say yes.”

He chuckled softly. “Really? You do remember she’s the one who hit me in the head with a frying pan right?”

“Yeah, I remember. That won’t be happening again. Don’t worry.” Ciara reassured him.

“If you say so. I guess it’s settled then. I’m staying.”

“Good, because I would miss you too much if you were gone,” Ciara admitted, which made him smile and she was smiling back. He made her feel safe, which was ironic considering he was a former serial killer. Even though she had second guessed her own instincts with men since her rape, she felt like she could trust Ben.

“I would miss you, too,” Ben told her. His hand reached out cautiously, tucking some heart behind her right ear. She was so amazing and he really enjoyed getting to know her. A blush rose to her cheeks in that moment.

“Walk with me home?” Ciara asked, a smile on her face. She came to her feet and Ben came to her side, extending his arm for her to hold onto as they walked back to her loft. Whether Tripp or Claire liked it or not, Ben was moving in and Ciara wasn’t taking no for an answer.


	5. Lady In Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off a tweet by @makiaken who wants to see Ben's face when Ciara gets dressed up for the John and Marlena wedding. She takes his breath away and he tells her she looks beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short, but sweet. This was about all I could get inspired to write. I hope you enjoy!

Ben had just gone for a run in the morning. It was too hot for a shirt so he just ran in some gym shorts. He wore a sweat towel around his neck. When he returned to the loft, he wasn’t quite prepared for what he would see next. Ciara had just exited her room in a beautiful red dress that accentuated her figure perfectly, showing off her legs and just a little cleavage. His mouth dropped and he was in awe. Ben couldn’t help but have his eyes look her up and down as she walked into the room. She took his breath away as her eyes caught his and she paused for a moment. It was hard to not notice a shirtless Ben walking around. Her heart started racing and she lost her breath for a few moments, biting her lower lip momentarily. 

  
“Hi...” That was the best thing that could come out of her mouth in that moment. She was trying not to stare at her very hot friend and he was trying not to stare at her.  _ Stop staring, he’s going to get creeped out. _

  
“Ciara, you look...” Ben was speechless, trying to find the right words to say. He couldn’t say his friend looked hot because that would imply he saw her as more than a friend. “...beautiful.”    
  
Ciara immediately smiled, a blush rising in her cheeks. The way he looked at her really made her feel things she shouldn’t feel. Ben was just her friend. She was with Tripp. She had to remember that. “Thank you. Claire helped me pick out this dress for Marlena’s wedding.”   
  
“She did a really good job,” Ben said, clearing his throat and drinking some water from the bottle in his hand.  _ Damn you, Claire. You’re really good at this.  _

  
Ciara gave a little nod, walking closer to Ben and he found himself stepping close to her. Her eyes focused on his, trying not to let them stray below his lips although that was just as distracting if she was honest with herself. “How was your run?”    
  
“Good, it helped me clear my head. Just what I needed.”  _ Especially considering I’ve been thinking about you way too much. No way would you be into a guy like me. _

  
Ciara assumed he needed to clear his head because of how her Mom was re-opening the arson case against him and her fury over him living there in the loft.  “I’m sorry about the other day. My Mom has taken this whole overprotective mother thing to the extreme. I won’t let her run you out of town. She has no evidence so she has no case against you.” 

  
“No apology needed. You know how much I appreciate you sticking up for me. I’m so grateful you believe in me so much,” Ben said, gazing into her eyes. Without even thinking, he reached forward with his free hand and brushed some hair behind her ear. For a moment, they stood still gazing at each other, knowing deep down these growing feelings between them weren’t going to fade. One day, they were going to give in and these feelings would explode like fireworks. His eyes glanced towards her lips and he wanted to lean in and kiss her.  _ I wish she was mine.  _

“I’ll never stop believing in you,” Ciara said softly, her eyes straying from his eyes to his lips fighting against her mind to not get terribly distracted.  _ Why the hell is he so freaking hot? _ She swore he was starting to lean in closer in that moment. The moment was broken when they both heard Tripp entering the room and clearing his throat loudly. Ben removed his hand immediately and they took a few steps away from each other. 

  
“Ciara, are you ready to go?” Tripp asked, coming to her side. It took everything he had to contain his anger towards Ben. To Tripp, it was bad enough that Ben walked around shirtless, but now he seemed like he was taking the opportunity to touch Ciara whenever he pleased. He wanted to scream out, _what the hell are you doing touching my girlfriend?_ _She’s mine!_  
  
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Ben thought he saw a look of sadness in her eyes for a second, like she didn’t want to leave. She gathered her purse and started to walk out the door. “I’ll see you later, Ben,” Ciara said, giving Ben one last look before leaving the loft. Ben nodded and watched her leave with Tripp, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and went to take a very cold shower. 


End file.
